(055) Wildwood/The Ivory Wold

Waysoftheearth's Hinterlands PBP

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Post by Eris » Wed Mar 12, 2014 7:12 pm

Re: (055) Wildwood/The Ivory Wold

Olaf listens more than he speaks, but after listening he says, "We aren't an army and that's what the Snorks have, an army!"

"I don't think we should attempt to take them head on, anywhere." Olaf frowns, "They can overwhelm us with sheer numbers, as almost happened out on the moor when the Gob patrol hit us."

"What almost got us killed last time was starvation. If we go deep into Goblin controlled territory, we're going to have a way to get back out again to some safe haven or it'll just be a suicide mission. We'll be weakened and foot sore, and hit by large numbers we won't be able to fight through."

"Yes, I want to kick the Snorks out of Ket, out of the whole area, yes, I want to get to the Sisters and get this curse removed from me, but we have to be realistic about what we can do. We can't fight the whole Snork army by ourselves."

"Looking at the map, I think we need to return to the Abbey and finish cleaning it out. That could become a 'base of operations' from which we could attack Ket in one direction or Gzum-Atog in another...or retreat back here, if we had to. If we can gain allies, Eberhart, Elvin help, refugees from Ket the Abbey could be a rallying point for them with a shorter and more secure pipe-line back to here."

"But if the Abbey is not cleared, it blocks any foray past it or retreat from beyond it." Olaf shakes his head again, "I really think that Abbey needs to be cleared before we do anything else."
[f=4]Manfreid the Fighter (MV 9", AC 3/5, HD 1+2, hp 10/10, FC Man+1, N) silver mail+helm, sword+shield[/f]

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Post by ehiker133 » Wed Mar 12, 2014 7:50 pm

Re: (055) Wildwood/The Ivory Wold

"Base of operations..." Desmond mutters, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "I can certainly see some benefit to that. With food stuffs in mind, we could even take the opportunity to overload on waybread, so to speak, taking more than we can easily carry, with the idea of being able to store it once we've secured parts of the abbey. The vault with the fountain comes to mind, since we have the enigma key and might possibly be the only ones with access to it."

As he thinks it through, he adds, "the only concern there being the tar pit in the chapel that the priests and wolves disappeared into... and that might still house some gigantic creature of fire. We'd have a hard time securing that bit. Unless it's just a tunnel and the bubbling tar was just an illusion like the glamour over the abbey itself."
[f=47]Dougal Blackfoot (MV 9", AC 6, Lvl 4, HP 10/10) [/f]
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Post by verhaden » Wed Mar 12, 2014 8:10 pm

Re: (055) Wildwood/The Ivory Wold

Torben

Like Olaf, Torben doesn't say much at this juncture, though he does provide this bit of input: 'If we're considering the Abbey, I wonder if it would be protected from scrying?'

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Post by danhem » Wed Mar 12, 2014 8:20 pm

Re: (055) Wildwood/The Ivory Wold

Eris wrote:"Looking at the map, I think we need to return to the Abbey and finish cleaning it out. That could become a 'base of operations' from which we could attack Ket in one direction or Gzum-Atog in another...or retreat back here, if we had to. If we can gain allies, Eberhart, Elvin help, refugees from Ket the Abbey could be a rallying point for them with a shorter and more secure pipe-line back to here."

"But if the Abbey is not cleared, it blocks any foray past it or retreat from beyond it." Olaf shakes his head again, "I really think that Abbey needs to be cleared before we do anything else."
"You speak with wisdom Olaf," Ulric says. "I don't think we were considering a head-on assault of the goblin fortresses, but perhaps we should hold off on assaulting the goblins for now. As you say, the abbey is in an ideal location. Taking the abbey will be a challenge though. The giant fire golem we encountered may be just one of many. But, it may be easier than tackling an organized army of 100 hobgoblins. Plus we know that it is there."

"If we can get the elves to fly us to the abbey we can bring sufficient equipment and resources to sustain us during the fight. They may even be able to drop us into the interior of the abbey itself, in a courtyard of on a rooftop, launching a surprise attack from within."

OOC: Okay, Olaf makes an excellent point. I like the "abbey assault and capture" idea rather than the "goblin assault followed by starving trudge back to the elves" plan, both from a character and player perspective. I would like to finish exploring an area for once.

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Post by danhem » Wed Mar 12, 2014 8:21 pm

Re: (055) Wildwood/The Ivory Wold

verhaden wrote:Torben

Like Olaf, Torben doesn't say much at this juncture, though he does provide this bit of input: 'If we're considering the Abbey, I wonder if it would be protected from scrying?'
"Josiane and I can try once she has rested. It would be good to know if they have burned the abbey to the ground since our departure."

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Post by ehiker133 » Wed Mar 12, 2014 8:49 pm

Re: (055) Wildwood/The Ivory Wold

"Ulric... you called it a gholum. The same term we used for the iron machine we fought in the basement of our manse. I did not see the beast of fire, myself, so could not properly call it such, but... it seems unusual that gholums are in use in both the abbey and in Ket. Some might even call it coincidence. And I don't believe in coincidence. From what High... er, Taurnorn... has indicated, making gholums is beyond snork knowledge. Could someone be making gholums for them and for the wolf priests?" Desmond asks the fire mage.
[f=47]Dougal Blackfoot (MV 9", AC 6, Lvl 4, HP 10/10) [/f]
[f=59]Goldwen (Sagacious* Abbess, MV 9′′, AC 6, HD 2+1, HP 9, FC 2 men, SV C3, L][/f]

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Post by Eris » Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:01 pm

Re: (055) Wildwood/The Ivory Wold

ehiker133 wrote:"Ulric... you called it a gholum. The same term we used for the iron machine we fought in the basement of our manse. I did not see the beast of fire, myself, so could not properly call it such, but... it seems unusual that gholums are in use in both the abbey and in Ket. Some might even call it coincidence. And I don't believe in coincidence. From what High... er, Taurnorn... has indicated, making gholums is beyond snork knowledge. Could someone be making gholums for them and for the wolf priests?" Desmond asks the fire mage.
"Nasty thought." Olaf says, "You're probably right, though."

"let's see...." Olaf thinks a second, "There were undead creatures in the Abbey that you fought, right? Our normal weapons weren't as effective as they usually are, is that also right? If we go back shouldn't we give some thought to something like silvered blades and arrow heads?"

"And that gholum thing was shooting heat rays out of its eyes, but it didn't see our Hi, er Taurorn, when he was invisible." Olaf continues, "If we could make ourselves less visible to it, maybe we could get up close and kill...er, disable it?"

"Invisibility spells, or such magic, would be great, but maybe smoke or dust or something like that to obscure its vision would work as well?" Olaf squints, "How do you kill a gholum, though, with sword and axe or with some sort of magic, or maybe you just turn it off by flipping a switch? Does anyone know?"
[f=4]Manfreid the Fighter (MV 9", AC 3/5, HD 1+2, hp 10/10, FC Man+1, N) silver mail+helm, sword+shield[/f]

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Post by Tonneau » Wed Mar 12, 2014 11:14 pm

Re: (055) Wildwood/The Ivory Wold

ehiker133 wrote:"Base of operations..." Desmond mutters, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "
"Yes, perhaps...", muses Gustave, warming to this new plan, "Fortress Gustave? The abbey has strategic worth, and could be made into a formiddable stronghold, now that our manse is...otherwise occupied ."

"I have no desire to fight the dead again", he adds with a frown, "as I for one prefer green-skins that stay down when they are done. But the lad has a point", he concludes with a nod to Olaf.
[f=59]Wraislin [Intellectual Conjurer, MV 12′′, AC 9, HD 2, hp 8, FC 2 men, SV M3, N] [/f]

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Post by mushgnome » Thu Mar 13, 2014 12:22 am

Re: (055) Wildwood/The Ivory Wold

ehiker133 wrote:"Ulric... you called it a gholum. The same term we used for the iron machine we fought in the basement of our manse. I did not see the beast of fire, myself, so could not properly call it such, but... it seems unusual that gholums are in use in both the abbey and in Ket. Some might even call it coincidence. And I don't believe in coincidence. From what High... er, Taurnorn... has indicated, making gholums is beyond snork knowledge. Could someone be making gholums for them and for the wolf priests?" Desmond asks the fire mage.
"Making Gholums is now within our grasp, young master Two-Heads," speaks Highbough/Taurnorn. "Dorgan was correct: the golems are indeed powered by a marrowstone, the living heart of a mountain. Our enemy's craftsmanship is outstanding: they have discovered some tool or process to splinter the marrowstone, like flakes of flint, into multiple power sources. We have no idea how many of these automatons they are capable of crafting, but now we have the knowledge too!"

Highbough continues, "The gholems have two vital areas, both located in the torso: the marrowstone 'heart' and the decision box 'brain.' Destroying either of these should stop the gholem dead in its tracks. However--if possible, we should try to capture these automatons intact and turn them against their creator. I believe with study I can unlock the secrets of the Decision Box. And as for the golem's heart, I believe this is why Dorgan was sent to us. I do not believe the Marrowstone would respond to the command of an Elf, but I believe the mountain spirits would positively cheer for a pure-hearted Dwarf to lead a gholem revolt against the mountainheart-snatchers! Once the war is won, the shards could be returned to the earth in some respectful Dwarfish ritual. It is what the Mountain itself would want, Dorgan: Victory!"

The old Elf laughs. "But let's not get ahead of ourselves---first things first! Slaughtering a few dozen goblins will be a good start. Let's set up a base of operations, and then strike them when and where they're weakest."
[f=59]Stern (Strong Hero, MV 9′′, AC 3, HD 4, hp 20, FC 4 men/hero, SV F4, L)[/f]

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Post by ehiker133 » Thu Mar 13, 2014 1:45 am

Re: (055) Wildwood/The Ivory Wold

Eris wrote: "Nasty thought." Olaf says, "You're probably right, though."

"let's see...." Olaf thinks a second, "There were undead creatures in the Abbey that you fought, right? Our normal weapons weren't as effective as they usually are, is that also right? If we go back shouldn't we give some thought to something like silvered blades and arrow heads?"

"And that gholum thing was shooting heat rays out of its eyes, but it didn't see our Hi, er Taurorn, when he was invisible." Olaf continues, "If we could make ourselves less visible to it, maybe we could get up close and kill...er, disable it?"

"Invisibility spells, or such magic, would be great, but maybe smoke or dust or something like that to obscure its vision would work as well?" Olaf squints, "How do you kill a gholum, though, with sword and axe or with some sort of magic, or maybe you just turn it off by flipping a switch? Does anyone know?"
OOC: undead? Hmmm... I remember wolves, wolf-men, priests, the floating beak thing, the grey ooze thing... The fire elemental/gholum... I don't recall any undead. At least not that Desmond fought. Maybe it was the other group?

Also keep in mind, Eris, that those of us fighting as Heros (4th level or higher) shouldn't have to worry about such limitations, at least I think that is what WOTE said. Still want to get some cool magic weapons, of course...
[f=47]Dougal Blackfoot (MV 9", AC 6, Lvl 4, HP 10/10) [/f]
[f=59]Goldwen (Sagacious* Abbess, MV 9′′, AC 6, HD 2+1, HP 9, FC 2 men, SV C3, L][/f]

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